Omaha Spirit made a winning debut at Colonial Downs on Sunday, giving trainer Wesley Ward a fresh juvenile marker as the Omaha Beach filly held Never Sleep by three-quarters of a length over five furlongs on turf.
The two-year-old, ridden by Paco Lopez, broke sharply in the fourth race and was quickly in control after an opening quarter in 22.85sec. She was asked to stay focused in the closing stages as Never Sleep reduced the margin, but the Runnymede Farm, Callahan Equine, Jim Mastriani and Edgar Harty-owned filly kept enough in reserve to score in 57.37sec.
Omaha Spirit pedigree adds to the interest
The performance gives Ward another early-season filly to monitor, with Omaha Spirit now 1-1 from one start and credited with $42,000 in earnings. She is out of Lifting Spirit, a Siyouni mare and half-sister to multiple Group winner Duke Of Hazzard, which makes the debut win more than a routine maiden result.
Thoroughbred Daily News reported that Omaha Spirit is the first runner out of Lifting Spirit, whose wider family includes Group 1 winner Palace Episode and Canadian champion juvenile filly Spring In The Air.
The timing also matters for Ward, who remains a high-profile juvenile trainer on both sides of the Atlantic. Omaha Spirit still has to prove how far this debut can stretch, but speed, professionalism and pedigree were all on show at Colonial Downs.
